Three's a Crowd
A Mystery Room Fanfic
by I Need Sleep

Summary: Alfendi is promoted – and a new inspector is brought into the Mystery Room! Unfortunately, Alfendi does not like him. The new Chief Inspector must now try to not strangle his new subordinate while, at the same time, sorting out his feelings for the other one.

Chapter 1: Dartwright

Alfendi Layton held the letter in his hands, eyes skimming over the words over and over. The words seemed to jumble the more he looked at it, but he couldn't help it.

He was getting promoted to chief inspector.

He flipped the letter in his hands and flipped it back upright. The contents of the letter did not change – it still brought the message that he was going to be promoted to Chief Inspector Alfendi Layton due to his "perseverance and hard work over the years".

He needed to see the Commissioner.

He felt conflicted. On one hand, he was fairly happy about being recognised as having a great potential. But on the other hand, he was content with his life as it was, staying in the Mystery Room with plucky Lucy Baker. He had no doubts that the new position meant changes in routine. His head was silent – his other personality also seemed to have been stunned by the letter. With shaking hands, Alfendi placed the letter down and stepped out of the Mystery Room, walking down the still quiet halls towards the Commissioner's office.

He shoved the doors wide open and startled Deputy Commissioner Chan, but Commissioner Barton merely smiled a knowing smile.

"I'm promoted?" Alfendi growled in question, striding towards the front of the head of the Scotland Yard's office.

Taken by surprise and seemingly appalled, Deputy Commissioner Chan crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at Alfendi, who continued to ignore him in favour of keeping his eyes trained on the Commissioner, as if the older man was a magician and he was about to perform a trick Alfendi did not want to miss. "Inspector Layton-"

"Chief inspector Layton," corrected the Commissioner. "You have received recommendations from me and Miss Hilda Pertinax of the International Criminal Police Organisation." He stood up and stepped away from his desk, walking over to stand in front of the frowning burgundy haired man. He gave him a kind smile. "Congratulations."

"I haven't—"

"Deputy Commissioner Chan," the older man turned towards the frowning mustached man who stood by the desk with his arms crossed over his chest, tilting his head towards the door. "Would you mind leaving us to talk for a few minutes?"

The Deputy Commissioner said nothing, but he let his arms drop and he marched off towards the exit, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click. Once the man was gone, Commissioner Barton turned his attention back to the fuming Alfendi.

"Normally," he began with a joking tone, "people are happy about being promoted."

Alfendi flinched as he changed back to his more docile personality. "I'm happy, I'm just…"

"Yes?"

"I like me as I am," he answered lamely, letting out a puff of breath. The Commissioner let out a chuckle, moving back towards his desk. He motioned towards the leather seat behind Alfendi.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Barton offered while making space on his desk and lacing his fingers together in front of him. "Nothing would change much, Alfendi," he said, answering the unvoiced question. "It is merely a formality – a change in title rather than a change in responsibilities. I would appreciate it if you continue to work as you do now, in the Mystery Room."

He opened his drawer and pulled out an epaulette. "I had the feeling you would come to see me," he said, handing it over to Alfendi who observed it like a scientist observing something under the microscope. "I know you don't wear epaulettes," he motioned towards the labcoat, "but that's yours now."

The new chief inspector ran his fingers over the embroidery and stared at the three pips. He was still unsettled, but he contained his confusion, holding back and not letting his harsher personality show through again. "Thank you, Commissioner," he said, getting up and shaking the older man's hand. "I'll get back to work, now."

"Carry on," the Comissioner said, walking alongside the other man to the door. He patted the younger man's back and held the door open for him. "I shall see you around." Commissioner Barton had a call to make.

He nodded and began his trek back to the back office which had been his base of operations for the past couple of years. He'd shoved the epaulette into his pocket along with his newspapers and ignored the stares of people he passed by, not used to seeing the contemplative man walking around outside of the Mystery Room. He paid them no mind and he soon walked into his office to come face to face with a grinning Lucy Baker.

At the familiar sight of his assistant, Alfendi's eyebrows rose. "Good morning, Lucy," he greeted with a smile. He looked over to the clock that hung in the room. "You're on time."

"Aye, I am," she said, grinning, before cheekily adding, "chief inspector."

Alfendi chuckled nervously, his hand landing on the back of his neck, "yes," he said, "it seems I got promoted."

"Congratulations, Prof!" she said, jumping up in glee. "You deserve it!"

He smiled sheepishly at her, his cheeks flaring. 'God,' his abrasive personality thought, 'you look so ridiculous.' "Thank you, Lucy," he said, ignoring the voice in his head snarking away. "It came as a surprise."

"I think you had it coming," she said, still cheerful. Typical of Lucy – but this was a victory he could share with her, considering she did help clear his name. "Congratulations, Prof!" she repeated.

"Yes," a voice rang from the doorway, and the duo looked over to find a blonde-haired, bespectacled young man standing there with an unpleasant look in his face. "Congratulations, chief inspector Layton."

"Can I help you?" he asked, observing the man in front of him. The man stepped forward and placed his box of things down onto Alfendi's desk, right over his promotion letter which he did not make any effort to grab. He resisted the urge to lift an eyebrow in question, opting to maintain a calm outer shell to hide the fact that he didn't like this new male's presence.

The man in the finely pressed suit stretched his arm out and offered it to the purple haired 29 year old. "I'm Blaine Dartwright," he said. "The new inspector."

Author's Note: First off, thank you for taking the time to read me. And secondly: Aw, snap.

University (specifically group work) is stressing me out so much I decided to write this and another Lucifendi story, and I decided to buy Professor Layton v Phoenix Wright for my 3DS. Stress does strange things to you, man. Strange, strange things.

If any followers of Being Second ever come across this, apologies for Chapter 14 taking a while to come out - I have drafted out two different versions/starts of/to Chapter 14 and I don't know which one to use! I will hopefully get it written, edited, and published once the group stuff at uni die down.